The Transition of Belt and Road Initiative from 1.0 to 2.0: Challenges and Implications of Green Development

China claims that the Belt and Road Initiative is a cross-regional comprehensive initiative covering the economy, social and environmental pillars. When it was first proposed, it identified five main areas which call for cooperation priorities, i.e. policy coordination, interconnection of facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bond. Scholars globally are focusing on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative as it has gone through several development stages. The Belt and Road Initiative initially focused on economic development, equal dialogue and cultural interchange between the Belt and Road Initiative partners and China, and now it has added the concept of green development. This paper reviews the Belt and Road Initiative documents since 2013 and analyses the changes of environmental policies in the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to identify the challenges and implications of green development. The outcome of this paper provides insight into how the Belt and Road Initiative can contribute towards sustainable development with its partner countries.